This report is based on a series of interviews given by John R.R.
Searl
on a number of occasions since 1982 and contains information and data
concerning
the experimental work on permanent magnets carried out by him between
1946
and 1952. The experiments resulted in the claimed discovery of a new
source
of energy, the so-called Searl-Effect (SE) and the invention of a new
permanent
magnet machine, the so-called Searl-Effect Generator (SEG) to utilize
this
effect. The report also contains data and information regarding
important
tests and measurements made on the SEG, or part thereof, by Searl in
cooperation
with other research workers after the aforementioned time period.

It must be stressed that all documentation describing the
experimental
procedures and the equipment used was destroyed by fire in 1983. It is
therefore not possible to give a detailed and accurate account of
Searl's
work.

Nevertheless, the information gathered is believed to contain
enough
data to allow a successful repetition of the experiments to be made.

The reconstruction of the equipment used has been a joint effort
between
Searl and the author, in particular the magnetizing coil and the
switching
equipment.

S. Gunnar Sandberg
(June 1987)

Introduction

In 1946, at the age of fourteen, John Roy Robert Searl began his
employment
as a trainee at the Midland Electricity Board (MEB) in Birmingham to
become
an electrical and electronics fitter. The MEB produced their own
permanent
magnets to be used in the manufacturing of energy-meters and other
electrical
instruments. This work was carried out in the electronics workshop
where
Searl was a trainee. Soon, Searl became involved in the production of
permanent
magnets and gradually learned the manufacturing procedures and how to
use
tools and the necessary equipment. Also, the management gave him
permission
to use the research laboratory for his experiments which were
considered
to be part of his training. It was in this environment Searl began his
experimental work on permanent magnets that eventually culminated with
the discovery of a new magnetic effect.

Searl's original idea was that free electrons in spinning metal
bodies
may have a tendency to move in the radial direction due to inertial
forces.
If this hypothesis was correct then an electric potential difference
should
develop between the center and periphery of a rotating shaft and
between
the inner edge and the rim of a slip ring. He also held the view that
the
electromotive force induced in spinning bodies due to the earth's
magnetic
field could be used for generating electric energy. Accordingly,
Searl's
first series of experiments consisted of careful measurements on fast
rotating
steel shafts and slip rings made of brass and indeed he was able to
show
the existence of a minute electric voltage in the radial direction. If
this voltage was due to the inertial properties of the electrons or
induced
by the magnetic field of the earth was never established. However, it
soon
became evident that this simple generator would only be practically
useful
if means could be found to increase the power output.

At this stage in the experimental work any person with a formal
education
in electrical engineering would have considered the principle
unworkable
and the effect an academic curiosity without practical applications.
However,
Searl was not so easily discouraged and began experiments with rotating
permanent magnets manufactured by him using a magnetic material(l) made
by Mullard UK and later using magnetic alloys imported from the USA.
These
alloys proved to be superior compared with the magnetic material
manufactured
by Mullard (Whether or not this material was a ferromagnetic alloy or a
ferrite s not known). The use of permanent magnet material resulted in
a considerable improvement and by now Searl was convinced that this
simple
principle could be used to generate electricity. Whether Searl's choice
of magnetic materials was a deliberate experimental strategy or a
coincidence
is not known, but in due course the use of these materials did lead to
unexpected effects.

The Manufacturing Procedure of the
Permanent
Magnets Used by Searl

During the early part of his training period Searl manufactured a
great
number of permanent magnets in the shapes of cylindrical bars, hollow
cylinders,
annular rings and rectangular rods. The magnets were moulded by
pressing
a mixture of magnetic powder and a bonding agent. For this operation a
hydraulic press with appropriate press tools was used. The work was
carried
out inside a vacuum chamber to prevent explosion. Moulds made of
bakelite
were also used and the mixture of magnetic powder and binder was packed
by hand into the bakelite mould and the whole assembly placed into the
vacuum chamber with the intention of removing the air from the mixture
and increasing the mass density of the magnets. However, this method
was
less efficient than using the hydraulic press which produced better and
denser magnets. The curing of the moulded cores could sometimes take as
long as three days. This suggests that curing took place at room
temperature
and a liquid binder was used. In later experiments Searl successfully
used
nylon (thermoplastic) with an excess of negative charges. These charges
appear to have taken an active part in the production of the Searl
effect.

Two types of magnetic alloys and bonding agents were imported from
the
USA by Searl. This material was paid for by George Haynes of Turner
Street,
West Bromwich, who financially supported Searl's experimental work
between
1946 and 1948; the reason being that Mr. Haynes' son and Searl made the
experiments together.

A magnet produced in 1946 by a mixture of the two alloys was
analyzed
qualitatively in 1984 and found to contain the following elements:
Aluminium,
Silicon, Sulphur, Titanium, Neodymium, Iron.

The precautions taken by Searl when handling the highly flammable
element
neodymium and details concerning the moulding process have never been
properly
investigated. Likewise, the identities of the American suppliers of the
magnetic alloys have not yet been established.

Further information regarding the magnet specimen is found in
Appendix
A.

The Magnetising Equipment Used by Searl

The coil used by Searl to magnetise the moulded cores was
originally
intended for and used to demagnetise (degaussing) turbine shafts and
generator
shafts and consisted of approximately 200 turns of heavy electric
copper
wire normally used for connecting electric cookers to the mains. The
magnetising
current used was 180 amperes and supplied by a Westinghouse three-phase
mercury rectifier. The on-off switching operation was carried out
manually
using a high current switch and the on-off duty cycle lasted for
seconds
rather than fractions of a second. More information regarding the coil
can be found in the report SEG-002.

A Novel Magnetising Method

Based on what can only be described as intuition, Searl suggested
that
a second winding should be added to the existing magnetizing DC-coil
and
connected to an AC-source. This proposition created heated discussions
amongst his fellow workers as to the effect of such a magnetising
method.
The general view was that the magnetic field created by an alternating
current would partly cancel the magnetic field created by the direct
current
and make the coil less efficient. However, Searl suggested that the
existing
RF-signal generator in the laboratory should be used as an AC-source;
this
would prevent cancellation of the DC-field. This idea was met with an
even
greater scepticism as the current supplied by the signal generator
would
be minute and have insignificant effect on the magnetising process.
Searl
persisted, however, with his views and eventually succeeded in winning
his manager's approval for the idea. Searl can remember his manager
carrying
out certain calculations concerning the design of the AC-winding. These
calculations were at the time beyond Searl's comprehension and no
information
is any longer available regarding their nature. The exact number of
turns
in the AC-winding remains unknown despite a considerable effort on
Searl's
part to recall the details concerning the coil. However, based on
fundamental
electrical engineering it can be assumed that the calculations involved
resonance (to maximize the number of ampere-turns in the AC winding,
parallel
resonance should be used) and characteristic impedance determinations
with
the intention of avoiding shorting out the signal generator. It is,
therefore,
reasonable to suggest that these calculations can be repeated and a
reconstruction
of the AC-winding can be made.

The switching equipment consisted of two hand-operated switches
which
had been mechanically interlocked; one switch for the DC-current and
the
other switch for the AC-current.

Generator Geometry

Exactly when Searl decided to use the 'roller bearing' geometry as
a
model for his generators is not known and will require further
investigation.
However, it must have been very early in his career, probably as early
as 1946. The inertial and the gyroscopic effects of a fast spinning
ball-race
intrigued him and Searl used to release fast rotating ball-races and
study
their behaviour when they dissipated the kinetic energy through
collisions
with surrounding objects. It was most certainly the result of these
experiments
that inspired him to use this configuration for his generators.

The Discovery of the Searl-Effect and the
Invention
of the Searl-Effect Generator

Equipped with these new ideas concerning geometry and magnetizing
methods,
Searl started to make generators consisting of a single annular ring
surrounded
bya number of rollers. By keeping the ring stationary and forcing the
rollers
to spin about their own axis and simultaneously revolve around the ring
by driving them with an electric motor, the generators produced
voltages
in excess of 30 kilovolts. However, it was not always that Searl was
successful
in producing such high voltages. Since he did not know the mechanism
responsible
for the effect, it was very much a matter of trial and error to
reproduce
the magnets. Sometimes the failure rate was very high, seventy percent
or more; out of a batch of a hundred (100) magnets only thirty (30)
would
work. The reason for this was never established with certainty, but it
is believed to have been caused by the primitive switching equipment
used.

The Searl-Effect

At a certain critical speed some of the generators would suddenly
lock
in to a mode of operation that appeared to be some kind of positive
feedback
and they would run spontaneously without any mechanical connection to
the
driving motor. In the beginning Searl could not control this effect at
all.

Later, he found that by loading the generators electrically it was
possible
to reduce the speed, but once this state of operation had been reached
the generators could not be stopped. However, it is possible that if
appropriate
test equipment had been available Searl would have been able to bring
the
generators to a halt by loading them either electrically or
mechanically.
It must be pointed out that Searl did not have the financial support
required
to carry out such comprehensive and dangerous tests and even if he had
access to the workshops and the laboratory at the MEB, where such tests
could have been made, he was certainly not allowed to carry out
dangerous
experiments on the MEB's premises.

As the experimental work progressed Searl succeeded in reducing
the
critical speed to a value close to zero by a careful design and by
increasing
the number of rollers, and eventually he was able to produce a
generator
that was self starting. Searl discovered that when the generators were
running the air pressure decreased in the immediate vicinity of and
inside
the generators. At voltages above thirty kilovolts the air motion was
directed
away from the rim of the generators, and candle light that had been
placed
at the centre of the generator ring went out due to lack of oxygen.
This
decrease of the air pressure could explain the absence of flashover
between
the ring and the rollers. Searl also discovered that the temperature
dropped
considerably close to and in the interior of the generators, probably
due
to the transport of air away from the generator. Another interesting
effect
was that objects placed inside the generator ring lost their weight.
The
existence of these effects were later confirmed by use of proper
measuring
equipment.

The Searl-Effect Generator

Three different systems were developed to extract the energy
produced
by the SEG; one mechanical system and two electrical:

(1) The mechanical system: The details concerning the mechanical
drive
system are not known and are yet to be investigated.

(2) The high voltage system: This system was originally developed
for
measuring the electric potential difference generated between the
stationary
ring and the moving rollers. The positive generator terminal was fitted
to the ring and the negative terminal consisted of a number of
parallel-connected
comb-shaped electrodes mounted around the generator periphery and in
close
proximity to the rollers, as shown in Figure 1.

(3) The low voltage system: By fitting a number of stationary
c-shaped
induction coils around the rim of the generator, as shown in Figure 2,
and connecting them in series or parallel, or a combination of both,
the
SEG produced electric power of its own ( ~ 102 watts).

Several small generators of this type were manufactured and by
1952
Searl had built the first multi-ring generator.

Figure 1

Figure 2

The 3-Ring Generator & the Searl-Levity
Disc

This device was about three feet in diameter and consisted of
three
segmented rings in the same plane, with a number of induction coils at
its periphery (Details regarding this device can be found in the report
SEG-001, October 1982). Each ring consisted of a number of magnetic
segments
with insulating spacers between each such magnet. Due to high cost,
this
generator did not contain enough roller-magnets to be self-starting.

The generator was tested by Searl and a friend of his in the open
and
the armature was set in motion by a small engine. The device produced
an
unexpectedly high electrostatic potential in the radial direction. At
relatively
low armature speeds a very high voltage was produced and indicated by
static
effects on nearby objects. Characteristic crackling and the smell of
ozone
supported the conclusion.

The unexpected then occurred. The generator lifted while still
speeding
up, broke the union between itself and the engine, and rose to an
altitude
of about 50 feet. Here it stayed for a while, still speeding up and
surrounded
itself in a pink halo. This indicated ionization of the air at a
much-reduced
pressure.

Another interesting side effect caused local radio receivers to go
on
of their own accord. This could have been due to ionizing discharge or
electromagnetic induction. Finally, the whole generator accelerated at
a fantastic rate and is believed to have gone off into space.

Since 1952, Searl and his co-workers have manufactured and tested
more
than 10 generators, the largest being a 10-meter disc-shaped craft, the
so-called Searl-Levity Disc (SLD). Figure 3 shows a smaller version of
the SLD.

Figure 3: Searl Levity Disc [Not available]

Appendix A: Analysis of the Searl-Magnet

The magnet specimen supplied by Searl was analyzed by Roger Cheese
(a
material science technician at the School of Engineering & Applied
Sciences, Univ. of Sussex)) on April 16, 1984, using Energy Dispersive
X-Ray Analysis, the so-called EDAX-spectrum, and found to contain the
following
constituent elements, as shown in Figure Al.

Figure A1: EDAX-Spectrum

The EDAX-spectrum also contains information concerning the
quantity
of each constituent element.

Although this data is inadequate for an exact quantitative
analysis,
it is considered accurate enough for an acceptable estimation to be
made.
This work will require expertise and financial support.

According to information received from Dr. Anthony Simpson(a
retired
materials scientist and a former lecturer in the School of engineering
& Applied Sciences, Univ. of Susses) the element neodymium was most
certainly included to reduce the oxygen content and prevent it from
having
an adverse effect on the magnetic properties of the alloy. There is the
possibility that the neodymium was a contamination but that is less
likely.
In either case the percentage neodymium was probably less than 10% by
weight
(5% by weight is most likely).

The dimensions and the magnetic polarity of the magnet specimen on
which
the tests were carried out are shown in Figure A2.

Figure A2: Dimensions in mm

Figure A3 shows the magnetic flux pattern obtained by use of iron
filings.
The magnet was identical to one of the bar magnets demonstrated by
Searl
on August 15, 1982, as shown in the report SEG-001. At the time of
testing
(April 1984) the magnet had been accidentically broken during
transport.

The existence of the "recorded" pole pattern could not be
confirmed
using the aforementioned flux density meter. Such tests would have
required
a more sensitive instrument.

Other physical parameters:

Total weight: 67.6 gr
Total volume: 14.1 cm3
Mass density: 4.79 g/cm

Figures A4 and A5 show two electron micrographs revealing the
surface
structure of the sample used for analysis at magnifications of X1000
and
X4400 respectively. [Not available]

At the time of testing (April 1984), lack of funds and other
duties
prevented additional important measurements from being made. The magnet
was therefore returned to Searl with the intention of borrowing it at a
future date for further investigation. However, upon later request the
author was informed by Searl that all magnets in his possession had
been
lost.